Stanford football: Grading the Week

We’re not going to spend much time on Week 1 on account of its lack of relevance, although I’d like to make note of a column by Marcus Thompson II on David Shaw’s future and the potential coaching vacancies with both the Raiders and 49ers.

Please take the column for what it is: the purest of pure speculation (and it’s presented as such). But it’s worth tucking away in a back corner of your cranium … just in case Dennis Allen gets fired and/or Jim Harbaugh bolts 4949 Centennial.

The one point I’d make, which has to be front and center to any discussion on Shaw’s future, is that he’s not interested in uprooting his family at this time in their lives. My understanding is that his wife, Kori, isn’t interested in leaving town, either.

Her desire to stay in the Bay Area, and her role as an equal partner in their marriage/decision making, is the missing component to the annual post-season speculation about Shaw’s next move.

Result: Beat UC Davis 45-0.

Grade: B-

Comment: The defense was tremendous, albeit against a second-rate opponent.

* UCD didn’t cross midfield until the final play of the game, converted just 1 of 13 third downs and average a paltry 2.3 yards per play. Stanford generated pressure, stuffed the run and tackled well in the open field.

* The offense wasn’t nearly as sharp.

Quarterback Kevin Hogan completed 75 percent of his passes and tossed three touchdowns, but he also threw an interception.

The tailbacks took advantage of running and receiving lanes, but nobody made you think: There’s a 1,000-yard rusher.

And not surprisingly, the offensive line, with four new starters, had some breakdowns. The mistakes included a holding penalty on the first series, which is worth noting only because Stanford had three holding penalties all of last season.

* Ty Montgomery showed no ill-effects of his limited participation in training camp, with 158 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on eight touches.

He lined up in the backfield (Wildcat), in the slot and out wide, returned punts and is a superb kickoff returner — essentially, he’s going to be everywhere for Stanford.

(Don’t be surprised if, at some point this season, he lines up at tailback in the base offense.)

* The victory was Stanford’s 17th in a row at home, which stands as the longest streak in the nation following South Carolina’s loss to Texas A&M.

Next up: vs. USC

The matchup: Deeee-licious.

The past four meetings have been decided by a grand total of 20 points. Stanford has won three, including a September clash two years ago that was decided on a fourth-quarter touchdown. (Remember all the issues USC had with communication and pass protection because of the injury to senior center Khaled Holmes.)

Loads to discuss this week, including the matchups of inexperienced offensive lines against powerhouse defensive lines, and I’ll have much more on the game in a few days.

* Does the Stanford-USC dynamic change in any manner because the Trojans are under the command of Steve Sarkisian?

The teams matched up well against each other the past four years, in part, because they played similar styles — the brontosaurus brothers with their huddles and fullbacks and tight ends.

Yes, Sarkisian has taken the Trojans into the warp-speed era, but it’s not like he’s unfamiliar with Stanford’s schemes and the way to attack them:

His Huskies rolled up 489 yards on the Cardinal last year, if you’ll recall, and his personnel this season is just as good, if not better.

Oh, and USC’s defensive coordinator, Justin Wilcox, was the architect of Husky gameplans that held Stanford to three offensive touchdowns in the past two years.